Sidestepping the Cafeteria Line

I have been called many things for being a christian, but one that stands out is being called closed minded because I believe that scripture truly is the word of God.  I've been called an idiot for believing that everything in the Bible is actually real and is actually inspired by God.  Upon reflecting on this conversation I realized that what many people do is tease apart scripture into bite sized chunks, and believe only those chunks which are easy to digest.  The rest, they leave on their plate.  I call them cafeteria christians.  They take only what they want from the Bible, what makes them feel good, and claim that the rest isn't worth believing.  This is a dangerous path to tread.  The problem with claiming that portions of scripture are true while others are not is who is to say which is which?  Who has the authority to claim that one verse was actually inspired by God but another wasn't?  When we start to doubt the authority of scriptural truths, the foundation for faith quickly crumbles.  When you start doubting the word of God what basis for your faith are you left with?

We are living in what RC Sproul calls an anti-intellectual age.  Too many christians aren't taking the time to study and think through what the Bible says, and contemplate what they believe and why.  Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."  We need to dig deep into God's Word and unearth His truths there.  But we have to start with the authority of scripture itself.  Why do we believe what this book says?

There is vast amounts of evidence to prove the authority of scripture.  External evidence such as archaeology shows the historical accuracy of biblical accounts.  One noted archaeologist Nelson Glueck said, "No archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference."  I've read of countless instances where the Bible has been held up under historical and archaeological evidence.

There is also plenty of internal evidence in scripture where we see that the Bible really is God's inspired word to his children.  2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."  Hebrews reminds us that, "the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to diving soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  The Bible is more than just a book of stories.  The word of God is living and transformative.

Another aspect of scriptural authority that I find interesting is the unity of the scriptures.  The Bible was written over a period of 1500 years by 40 different authors on 3 continents, yet they all tell the same story!  Think about that for a minute.  If you asked 40 different people living in America today to write about one theme, you'd get 40 completely different viewpoints.  The Bible is not that way.  We can read the whole book and see God's theme of redemption for man on every page.

I absolutely love the word of God, and the more I read it the more I realize I can't go a day without it.  Scripture breathes life into me each day, and in its pages I am reminded of God's intense love for me, and what He was willing to sacrifice that I might be saved.  When you really start to see the Bible as God's words to you you won't be able to put it down.   And though there are some hard truths found within scripture, we know that it is all from God.  He had a purpose in speaking each word that we read, so we cannot discount it as irrelevant or obsolete.  I would rather have the whole truth of God than a lie, and anything less that then whole truth of God is a lie!

So instead of taking the cafeteria approach, approach all of scripture as God's inspired word.  See the Bible for what it is: a love story between God and his people.  Work through the difficult passages to find the truth of God within them rather than writing them off.  You will have a deeper understanding of who God is and his plan for salvation.  Trust me, you'll be glad you did!